Where to Stay // Los Feliz Lodge
Sure, we love the cozy vibe and kitschy design at this bungalow-style lodge, but it’s the well-stocked kitchen, garden patio and laundry facilities that had us at hello. Plus, it’s three miles west of Glendale.

Dinner // Carousel Restaurant
Snag a patio table at this lively restaurant and sample a blend of Lebanese, Armenian and Greek cooking. Start with the hummus followed by falafel, shawarma and kebabs galore.

Evening // Alex Theatre
Catch an Armenian concert at this historic theater that opened in 1925 as the neighborhood vaudeville and movie house.

Breed Street Shul photo by Andrea Bricco.

BOYLE HEIGHTS

Morning // Breed Street Shul
This synagogue, set in a stunning 1922 Byzantine revival building, is being restored and is a testament to the Jewish community that once called Boyle Heights home.

Morning // Lupe’s Tortilleria
It may not look like much from the exterior, but at Lupe’s, handmade corn tortillas are legendary. Lupe sells tortilla flour, too, so you can make them at home. 2710 Cesar E. Chavez Avenue.

Afternoon // Mariachi Plaza
Come here on Saturday afternoons and be serenaded by mariachi players in charro suits. Along with the vibrant murals, their music completes the neighborhood’s rich portrait. East First Street and Boyle Avenue.

Jain Temple photo by Andrea Bricco.

LITTLE INDIA

Morning // Jain Temple
At this domed temple and cultural complex in Buena Park, you’ll enter into a marble-clad shrine with 47 idols that are anointed and adorned during festivals and holy days.

Where to Stay // The Standard
This downtown favorite from hotelier André Balazs combines 207 sleek rooms with a heady dose of whimsy.

Morning // Walking Tour
The Japanese American National Museum offers a monthly tour, stopping at a WWII Japanese American veterans monument, the Higashi Hongashi Buddhist Temple and the garden at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center.

Lunch // Shin-Sen-Gumi
Devotees of Hakata-style ramen swear by this restaurant where the thin noodles are topped with scallions, red ginger and sesame seeds.